I wrote a blog post back in July about my frustration with the constant "how long is it going to take to fill my prescriptions" battle that we fight every day, and I'm afraid I have to write another one today, if only to give myself some self-therapy. Maybe I'm just late to the party, but this is something I really think is going to cause me a meltdown one of these days. Before this I guess I just took it for granted that being speedy was supposed to go with the job. Forget about counseling, profile review, MTM or whatever you want to call it now -- it's ALL about the customer convenience, and that means be FAST. Nothing else matters.
I made a minor error this week while trying to check a bucketload of prescriptions for someone who kept asking how much longer it would be. Nothing really significant, but it required a phone call and it made me very angry because I knew exactly why it happened. I was trying to hurry. I tried to glance at it too fast -- there was no other reason. I was so, so mad at myself for allowing this.
Another customer brought 3 prescriptions and actually got snotty when we told her it would be about 15 minutes. Yep, and she even asked if we could 'call them to another pharmacy' (we did not). You see, the idea that she would have to sit and wait, even if it's just 15 minutes, is intolerable. But if we 'call' the prescriptions elsewhere then they will magically be ready when she gets there, and so technically she doesn't have to actually 'wait.' Just stop for a minute and imagine this scenario in any other business on the planet. W...T...F.
And then, a customer brings in a prescription... there's a couple of people ahead of him. Probably about 10 minutes passes, and we discover the prescription is not covered, and needs a prior authorization. I explain the situation to him, and since he just came from the doctor's office I offer to call them and see if they could prescribe something else that is covered. And his question to me is, "Well, how long will THAT take?"
So, I'm trying to HELP you, and all you can ask is how long it will take. Well, damn it , forget it then. I'm going to send you away with no medication and tell you the doctor needs to do the Prior Auth. Buh-bye. I will then fax the form to the doctor's office where it will linger in the Prior Authorization Black Hole for a few days. You will call several times and ask me if your prescription is ready. I'll say no, I haven't heard that it's been authorized, and why don't you call your doctor. Then I'll get a call from the doctor's office telling me they never got any fax. I'll send it again (when I have 2 minutes to spare). Your doctor will be out for the day and the nurse will call me back when she doesn't have your prescription insurance information and doesn't know how or what to send them. Days will pass, probably more phone calls back and forth until someone takes the bull by the horns and either gets word back on the prior auth., or changes the prescription. Meanwhile, you will recount this to everyone you know and bitch about how screwed up the health care system is.
So, looking back, it probably wasn't such a bad idea for you to wait another few minutes for me to make that phone call, huh?
Help me. I'm afraid I may hurt someone.
7 comments:
The scumbags are everywhere, and sometimes they can overwhelm the best of us.
I always ask my Pharm. if they're busy...if they are, I tell them I'm in absolutely no rush and will come back later. I obviously can't fill the script myself, so why make their lives more miserable?
People seem to be under the misconception that all you have to do to fill a prescription is reach behind the counter to find a pill bottle.
I completely agree with Brooke - the public is just ignorant about pharmacy in general and don't realize what we as pharmacists actually do.
It also doesn't help that they see us as more of a 'drive thru' fast food type-joint instead of medical professionals...one guy I gave a flu shot to was talking about how great it was when a local clinic gave drive thru flu shots! Can you imagine?
A drive through flu shot? OMG...
I've been there. I've done the same things. God help me, I've made the same mistakes. I left one job because it was too busy and I feared for patient safety. Whenever I catch myself rushing, I stop and take a breath, and try to slow down a bit. It's hard. There is a customer service emphasis to pharmacy that I think other professions sometimes don't understand. Hang in there.
And then a customer complains to the higher ups because they had to wait 15 minutes, & they were late picking up their child from day care & had to pay a late fee, & the said higher ups apologize, send them a gift card, & then chew you out for causing problems. I was @ the pharmacy just the other day & the store manager (chain pharmacy) was asking the pharmacy manager if he could just give this customer an inhaler (customer thought that the store manager can tell the RPH what to do) "said" patient hadn't filled the inhaler in 18 months. The PRH said no, that it would be against the law, & a bunch of other reasons why she couldn't fill without talking to the doctor & the manager begged & pleaded & this went on for 30 minutes taking the pharmacist away from filling all the waiting RX's; including the one I had dropped off 45 minutes prior and was told 10-15 minutes. I looked at the RPH & said, "I will be back tomorrow (I wasn't mad just felt badly for the RPH)!" She called me a few hours later & apologized, & offered to drop my medications off @ my house on her way home in an attempt to thank me for always being so patient and making their jobs so easy. I declined! But it sure was a nice offer.
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